Korean Pancakes

What are Korean Pancakes?

Korean pancakes are a type of side dish that consists of proteins or vegetables that are either coated/mixed in batter or dipped in flour and egg and then pan-fried.

Jeon (전) vs. Buchimgae (부침개)

The terms Jeon (전) and Buchimgae (부침개) both fall under the category of Korean Pancake. The difference is that the term “전” comes from Chinese characters and the term “부침개” is the Korean character name. Some sources may say “전” is more in reference to pancakes dipped in flour and egg and “부침개” is more about battered pancakes, but to avoid confusion, just know the main difference is where the term comes from, either Chinese or Korean characters.

Two Basic Types of Korean Pancakes

There are two basic types of Korean pancakes that I will cover in my blog.

The first is a Pancake made through a combination of ingredients that are coated in a seasoned batter, or batter is poured over the ingredients and then pan-fried. I would add blended ingredient pancakes like “빈대떡” under this category as well.

The second type of Korean pancake is a pancake that is made using meat or vegetables that are seasoned, coated in a flour or powder mixture, then coated in egg and pan-fried. Stuffed pancakes (pancakes filled with ground meat) for example 껫잎전, also fall under this category.